Thus have I heard at one time. The Lord was staying at Rajagrha, on Vulture Peak mountain, together with a great assembly of monks and a great assembly of bodhisattvas. At that time once again the Lord, having pronounced the Dharma-explication called "The Manifestation of the Profound", entered into samadhi.

On that same occasion Noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva-mahasattva, who was carrying out [his] practice in the profound Perfection of Wisdom, regarded [things] as follows: He regarded the five skandhas as empty of own-being.

At that time the venerable Shariputra, through the power of the Buddha, said this to the Noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva-mahasattva. "That gentleman or lady who wishes to carry out a practice in the profound Perfection of Wisdom--how should he study?"

When [Shariputra] had spoken thus, Noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva-mahasattva, said this to the venerable Shariputra: "O Shariputra, that gentleman or lady who wishes to carry out a practice in this profound Perfection of Wisdom--he should regard [things] as follows: He saw the five skandhas as empty of own-being. Here, O Shariputra form is empty; emptiness itself is form. From form, emptiness is not distinct; from emptiness, form is not distinct. Whatever is form, that is emptiness; whatever is emptiness, that is form. And the same goes for sensation, concept, conditioning force and consciousness.

In that way, Shariputra, all dharmas have the mark of emptiness. They are not arisen, not stopped, not defiled, not pure, not less [than complete], not complete.

Therefore, O Shariputra, in emptiness [there is] no form, no sensation, no concept, no conditioning force, no consciousness, no eye, ear, nose, tongue, body [or] mind, no form, sound, scent, taste, touch-object [or] mind-object, no realm of the eye and so on up to no realm of mind-consciousness, no ignorance, nor destruction of ignorance and so on up to no old age and death, no destruction of old age and death, no suffering, arising [of suffering], [or] path, no knowledge, no attainment and no non-attainment.

Therefore, O Shariputra, since there is no attainment the bodhisattva dwells in reliance on the Perfection of Wisdom, without mental obstruction[s] Because of the absence of mental obstruction[s]., [the bodhisattva] is unafraid, has passed beyond error, [and] is assured of nirvana. All the Buddhas situated in the three times have awakened to unequaled complete perfect enlightenment in reliance on the Perfection of Wisdom.

Therefore the great mantra [of] the Perfection of Wisdom is to be known--the great spell mantra, the supreme mantra, the mantra which is equal to the unequaled, the mantra which appeases all suffering, [which is] truth, the mantra which--because of [its] non-falsehood--is spoken in the Perfection of Wisdom.

It [goes] like this tadyatha:

Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha.

Thus, O Shariputra, is the bodhisattva to study in the profound Perfection of Wisdom.

At that time the Lord arose from that samadhi, and approved of what Noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva-mahasattva, [had said]: "Good, good, sir! So it is, sir, so it is. One should carry out [one's] practice in the profound Perfection of Wisdom as you have made it known. And by the Tathagata-Arhats there will be rejoicing."

So spoke the Lord. The venerable Shariputra, Noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva-mahasattva, and those monks and bodhisattva-mahasattvas, and the world with its whole assembly [of] gods, men, asuras, garudas and gandharvas, rejoiced at what the Lord had said.